~*~
"Draco?" Harry knocked on the door again, but there was no response. "You've been in there all day. Please come out and eat something."
There was only silence, and Harry'd had enough of that today. The door was locked, so he retrieved his wand from the sofa table and cast a quick spell to open it. He pushed it open and stepped into the bedroom.
Draco was curled up on the bed, wrapped in a blanket. He must have cast a darkening spell, because very little light was coming in through the windows. Harry considered casting a finite, but he crossed to sit on the bed instead. He reached out to put a hand on Draco's hip.
"Draco? Please talk to me."
There was another moment of silence, and then Draco turned over onto his back and looked up at the ceiling. "I don't feel like talking."
"All right," Harry replied. "You don't have to talk."
"Good," Draco said. "Cos I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay," Harry said, trying to sound soothing.
"I really don't want to hear about how I should just get over it and get off my arse."
Harry gaped at Draco before he could stop himself. "Why would you think I'd say something like that?"
"Because that's what you should say," Draco grumbled. "And you should tell me that it's just a fucking dog and I should get my priorities straight and go get another one tomorrow."
Harry sighed and stretched out beside Draco. "I don't care if you think I should say that. I won't."
"You should."
"You can't make me."
Draco closed his eyes and sniffed. "Fine. Just lie there then."
"I will," Harry said.
"Fine."
Harry watched Draco for a long time, watched the way his chest rose and fell and the way his eyelids fluttered. "He was a great dog," he said at last.
Draco's eyes didn't open, but he nodded into his pillow.
"And he really was crazy about you. He wouldn't sit in anyone else's lap. And he'd yap at strangers, which was a plus."
The corners of Draco's mouth turned up a bit. "My father hated him."
"Another plus," Harry said, smiling. He reached out and brushed the hair out of Draco's eyes.
Draco opened his eyes and stared back at Harry, and Harry saw for the first time how red they were. He wanted to look away, because he knew how uncomfortable it made Draco for anyone to see him being emotional. Draco had never cried in front of him, not in the three years they'd been together.
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered. "I'm so, so sorry, and I wish there was something I could do or say to make it better, but I know there isn't."
Draco just stared back at him, his face blank. "There isn't."
"I know." Harry moved closer and kissed Draco's forehead, then the tip of his nose. "I love you, you know."
"I know."
"And I know you loved him."
Draco looked away. "He was just a dog."
"No he wasn't," Harry said. "He was your dog."
Draco closed his eyes. "Why are you doing this? If you want to make me feel better, shouldn't you offer to give me a blow job or something?"
"Is that what you want?" Harry asked.
Draco sighed. "No. I don't really feel like it."
"I'm not trying to make you feel better," Harry said. "I'm just trying to be here for you. That's the only thing I know I can do."
Draco was quiet for a moment, then shifted closer and pressed his forehead into Harry's chest. Harry put an arm around him and stroked his back, listening to him breathe. He pressed his lips against the top of Draco's head and inhaled the scent of his hair.
Draco tilted his head up and smiled. "But I think I'll take a raincheck on the blow job."
~ fin ~
Story Notes:
Originally posted: April 30, 2006
A bit of fluff. Written for someone on my flist who lost her dog. *hugs*
Link: On LJ